Many people understand violence as “physical force that is exerted to injure or hurt” (Webster, 2003). This is the type of definition one will find when consulting various dictionaries. It focuses loosely on violence as an insidious physical force that results in injury. Does this mean that people who experience violence show scars, bruises, or have broken bones? Since I did not find a definition that extended beyond “physical violence” in the dictionary, I consulted other sources. The American Psychological Association presents this definition of violence: “Violence refers to immediate or chronic situations that result in injury to the psychological, social, or physical well-being of individuals or groups (American Psychological Association, 1993).” This definition focuses more on the effects that recipients of the violence might experience. It designates violence as a “situation,” which could imply a person, financial status, living condition, etc. I appreciate this definition because it acknowledges that violence affects more than the physical part of a human being. I hope to form a definition of violence that shows the impact on the “whole person” (see Chapter 2).

In a recent discussion with my colleague, Char Caver, she suggested that in many therapeutic models, violence is viewed as a “violation of the self (Personal Conversation)” The etymological roots of the word violate are from the Latin, violare, which means, “to violate, treat with violence, outrage, dishonor” (Harper, 2001). A woman who experiences violence is stripped of her honor. In turn, she loses her sense of self (see Chapter 3). For many of the women in our program, they have been “violated” so many times by other people and systems. They have lost their sense of self, which we recognize as “self-esteem” or “self-confidence.”